4: The arrival of a rival

Audrey's POV

As I strolled down the hallway, a girl complimented me, saying, "Audrey, you look absolutely gorgeous today! What's your skincare routine? Your skin is flawless."

"Thank you for the compliment, but even if you sold your father's low-budget company, you still wouldn't be able to afford my routine," I replied with a sweet smile.

Another girl inquired about my heels, uniform, bag, and hair accessories, remarking on how pretty they were. She wanted to know where I got them.

"These are limited editions, a gift from my father. You won't find them anywhere; only fakes," I responded, the sound of my blue heels echoing on the tiled floor. Flipping my long blonde hair over my shoulder, I struck a pose against my locker and took a picture. I immediately posted it on all my social media pages, and the likes and comments started pouring in. It was only lunch break, and I had just arrived at school. It wasn't my fault, though. I was simply deciding which brand of my uniform to wear.

"Could you please follow me on social media? You're my role model, and it would mean a lot to me," a girl pleaded. I looked up from my phone, assessing her appearance. She definitely didn't fit the type of people I followed on social media. I only followed influential individuals I could brag about or any charity organization that could enhance my reputation.

"I'm sorry, but I don't follow people. Granting your request would only lead to more people asking for the same favor. Nevertheless, thank you for considering me as your role model. I genuinely hope I made a positive impact on your life," I said, forcing a smile before turning and walking away.

This was the life of a queen bee and a wealthy student—my life. I could feel the envious, jealous, and angry gazes upon me. Everyone longed to be me, to have the kind of life I had, but it was all just a fantasy in their minds. There could only be one Audrey, and that was me. Boys drooled over me wherever I went, but I didn't give them a second glance.

"Audrey!" someone called out to me. I turned around and flashed Nicole a wide smile. She had short black hair and black eyes. She could pass as a friend because she was also rich and pretty, although not at my level. I only associated with her because she was the only girl somewhat in the same league as me. You could call us friends if that's what it took to make friends. We exchanged cheek pecks.

"Nicole, it's been so long. Your skin looks awful. Are you breaking out? Don't worry; I can recommend an excellent dermatologist. That's what friends are for, right?" I asked, flashing my pearly white teeth.

She smiled back. "You've completely misunderstood. My skin isn't breaking out; it's actually a fashion trend to have one or more acne these days. Haven't you noticed?" she inquired.

"Really? I haven't," I replied, even though I knew she was lying.

"It is. Did you buy this bag downtown? I saw it when I went shopping, but it was too cheap for my taste," she remarked. Inwardly, I gasped. She had just dissed my bag, a bag that could buy her entire family.

"My father got me this expensive limited edition bag when he traveled abroad. It cost a fortune," I retorted defensively.

"Oh, really?" she mumbled, and I glanced disdainfully at her school bag.

"Are you still carrying last year's bag? It's out of fashion," I remarked.

"Oh, this? I bought a new bag, but I just wanted to use this for a while. I love it so much, and this brand could never go out of fashion," she lied. You see, girls might attempt to imitate my lifestyle, but they can never keep up. I was born for this life.

"Want to go touch up your makeup?" she asked. I nodded, and we walked into the bathroom together.

"Have you heard about the new girl who arrived today?" Nicole asked as she pulled out her makeup supplies.

"New girls arrive every day, what's the big deal?" I inquired.

"This one is very pretty and smart. She just arrived today, but she's already made it to the school's blog. Everyone is talking about her. I'm worried about you, my friend," she said.

I scoffed, "Worried? Why would you be worried about me? She just made it to the school blog, whereas I appear on the school blog every single day. If anything, you should be worried about yourself, or else she might take your place," I replied. The school blog was owned by an anonymous student, but it was a site where all the popular kids and trending gossip were posted. I practically own that blog because my face is always on it. I'm sure my arrival has already been captured again. Nicole should be worried; she only appears on that blog because she's with me.

She chuckled. "No, I'm worried about you because Owen and Nolan were spotted talking to her as soon as she walked in. You know what that means, right? They might lose interest in you, my poor friend," she pitifully muttered.

My lipstick slipped from my hands in surprise. Nolan? And Owen? Why would they talk to a common new girl?

"It was probably a misunderstanding. They never talk to anyone except me," I replied confidently.

"The first time, maybe a misunderstanding, but the second time, probably not. Besides, they were caught on camera exchanging romantic gazes," she said as she applied her lipstick. I immediately logged into the school blog, and my eyes widened at what I saw. Different pictures of her with Nolan and Owen were all over the blog. What annoyed me the most were the romantic captions. I scrolled downward, but there were no pictures or videos of my arrival to be found. I wanted to smash my phone out of anger, but I barely restrained myself.

"See, I told you," Nicole gloated.

"See you later. I have to head to class," I said before leaving the bathroom. Everyone was glued to their phones, watching videos of her. I was so upset. In this school, Nolan and Owen only ever spoke to me, so who was this new dumb girl? I had to clear this up before it got out of hand. I searched around for her until I finally found her picking something up from her locker. She wasn't even pretty; I was way prettier. I slammed her locker shut and forced a smile.

"We need to talk," I said. She looked at her closed locker before staring back at me.

"Why would you shut my locker like that? That was rude," she replied. I scoffed.

"I said we have something to talk about," I repeated.

"I don't think so. I don't know you, and if you want to speak to me, you have to start by being polite and apologizing," she retorted before trying to walk away. I stepped in front of her. This girl was starting to get on my nerves. It's clear she doesn't know me. This is my turf, and no one dares to leave without consequences.

"Listen up, girl. I don't know who you are or what hole you crawled out of, but stay out of my way and keep your distance from what belongs to me. Do you understand?" I demanded firmly, eying her with disdain. She frowned in response.

"Is there a problem?" a fellow student asked her.

"No, I'm fine," she replied.

"Are you sure? I could hear both of you raising your voices from a distance," the student insisted.

"I said I'm fine. You can leave," she responded.

"Alright, if you need any help, I'll be right over there," the student said.

"Get out of here, nerd. No one asked for you," I yelled at her, and finally, she left.

"Now, you..." I began, turning towards Genna, or whatever her name was.

"Listen to me, I've never met you before, and I don't know who you are. I don't understand what you're talking about. You must have mistaken me for someone else," she replied, attempting to walk away once again. I blocked her path, stopping her from leaving. She sighed.

"You better listen to me and stay away from whoever has caught your attention, or else you'll regret crossing me," I threatened.

"And who the hell are you? The principal?" she jested, nudging her shoulder against mine before walking away.

"Are the students in this school high on drugs or something?" I heard her mumble. I clenched my fists, seething with anger.

"Ahhhhhhh!" I screamed out loud, startling the students nearby. She just made the biggest mistake of her life. No one takes what is mine and treats me disrespectfully in front of everyone. Her name has been written in red ink in my book of enemies. She better watch her back.